Holsman Files Clean Elections Bill

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Representative Jason R. Holsman, D-Kansas City, filed a bill in the Missouri House of Representatives designed to reduce the influence of large campaign contributions, especially those from Political Action Committees and special interest groups, in Missouri's electoral process.

On July 10, 2008, then-Governor Matt Blunt signed into law Senate Bill 1038, which repealed the campaign contribution limits established for candidates for elected office.  Since then, candidates have accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from individuals, businesses, PACs, and special interest groups.  Holsman's Bill, House Bill 2164, establishes the Missouri Clean Election Fund that provides financial support for candidates for Governor, State Representative, and State Senator.  In order to be qualified as a Clean Election Candidate eligible for funds under the program, the candidate must be willing to forgo contributions from private donors.  Funding for this program would come from a voluntary check-box that taxpayers could opt to select when paying their state taxes.

"We need to do everything we can to reduce the influence of big money in politics," Holsman said. "Candidates seeking to become Missouri lawmakers should have other means to raise money for campaigns beyond seeking donations from groups that have business to be brought before the General Assembly."

Another bill in the General Assembly, H.B. 1727, sponsored by Rep. Jake Zimmerman, D-St. Louis, and cosponsored by Holsman, would reinstitute campaign contribution limits and would add several other campaign-related ethics reforms.